Feeler-loom



E. J. WENTZ.

FEELER 1.00M.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14. 1917.

1,347,726. Patented July 27, 1920.

pletely exhaust before the weft replenishing- EARLE J. WEETZ, OF GAFFNEY, SGUTH FACTUEIIQ'G CQI'IPANY, 0F MILFORD, CEUSETTS.

CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TO HOPEDALE MANU- MASSACHUSETTS, A CQRPORATIQH 01E MASSA- FEELER-LO 0M.

specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedJuly 2'7, 1920.

Application filed August 14, 1917. Serial No. 186,208.

To all whom it may canoe-7a:

Be it known that l, EARLE J. -Wnn'rz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gafiney, in the county of Cherokee and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeler-Looms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, cle r and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

The present invention relates to an improvement in feeler looms and more particularly the invention relates to a device for such-looms whereby the filling detector mechanism may be rendered inoperativedr functionless at predetermined times.

Feeler looms are a type of weft replenishing loom wherein a filling feeler mechanism determines the state of exhaustion of the filling in the active shuttle, and when the filling has been exhausted to a critical or predetermined extent initiates the weft replenishing operation. These looms are .most commonly employed in the production of the higher grades of fabrics in which the presence of mispick, that is to say, a short weft, is a detrimental blemish. The filling feeler mechanism is employed to initiate the weft replenishing operation for the pur pose of obviating these mispichs. Feeler looms are also provided with one or more filling detector mechanisms. which usually perform the function of causing loom stoppage on the detection of filling absence. The

llling feeler mechanism of Iceler l ooins is usually adjusted so that the weft replenishing operation is initiated when there is sufiicient filling in the shuttle for the laying of two or three complete wefts' in the shed. It has sometimes been found necessaryor desirable, however, to adjust the filling feeler mechanism so that the filling may completely exhaust before the weft replenishing operation is initiated. This is the case where feeler looms are employed for the production ,ofthe poorer grades of fab-,

rics, in which the presence of a mispick is not a detrimental blemish. lVhere the filling feeler mechanism of a feeler loom is so adjusted that it permits the filling to com:

operation is initiatec, it isobviousthat plishment of this the other side of the loom. present lnvention is,,concer1ied, however,

inc Y beam f The weft replenishing mechanism,

nected by means ofia hollow some provision. must be made for preventing the filling detector mechanism from detecting the filling absence caused by the complete exhaustion of the filling and thereby setting the loom stopping devices in operation to stop the loom. Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to pro-' duce a feeler loom having a device which will operate to render the filling detector mechanism inoperative or functionless when the weft replenishing operation is initiated on an indication of complete or substantial exhaustion of the filling. To the accompointed out in the ap rendering the filling detector mechanism of feeler looms inoperative or functionless at' predetermined times may be applied to any usual or preferred type of feeler loom. The loon'i illustrated in the drawings is of that type in which the filling feeler mechanism is located at one side of the loom and the weft replenishing mechanism is located at So far as the both these mechanisms may be located on the same side of the loom. The usual filling detector mechanism for causing loom stoppage on the detection of filling absence is shown in the presentinstance as located adjacent the weft replenishing mechanism, althouglrthe device of the present invention would be just as applicable in its control of ithe filling detector mechanism if the. latter were located adjacent the filling feeler} mechanism.

ings comprises a lay 5 mounted for swingmovements toward and from the breast of which the hopper is shown at 7, is conrock or change object, the invention consists in the feeler loom hereinafter described parts shown in' '00. "The feeler loom .illustratedin the draw-. I?

erally at 10, comprises a filling fork 11 which is pivoted at 12 on the rear end of a do tector slide 13 mounted tor sliding movements toward and from the lay in a bracket 14. secured to the breast beam The tail 15 of the filling fork 11 is adapted for cooperation with the welt hammer hook-16 on the forward movement of the weft hammer 17, with which the hook 16 is connected, whenever there is filling absence on the corresponding beat-iip of they lay.

up of the lay, which occursiwhei the shut-- tie is boxed at the side of the loom on which the filling detector mechanism located, is known as the filling detecting beat. W hen filling is present on this heat, the fork is tilted and the weft hammer hook 16 moves forward without cooperating with the fork tail 15; but when filling absent on this beat, the fork remains quiescent, and come quently the weft hennner hook on its corresponding forwerd movement cooperates with the fork tail 15 to move the slide 13 forward. The forward. movement of the slide This "beat- 13 oscillates a stop term 18 which is securedabove-described ports and their mode oi? operation are well known to those skilled in the art. l

he was stated in the introduction to descriptive portion of this specification, the operation of the weft replenishing mechenism of feeler loom is usually initiateden the indicationoif critical or predetermined exhaustion of filling in the active shuttle bv the filling feelcr mechanism. this critical or predetermined exhaustion the filling is indicated at a point sutlicient to permit the shuttle to accomplish several picks before complete exhaustion of the fill.- ing, so as to obviate the possibility of a mispick. In such the filling detector mechanism is brought into operation to effect loom stoppage only in the event of complete exhaustion of the filling, or in the event of breakage of the filling. But, in those cases where the filling feeler mechanism is l 1,3 levee device of the present invention forrender ing the filling detector mechanism inoperative or functionless on the detecting beat followin the indication of predeterminedexhaustion of filling in the active shuttle (where the feeler mechanism is so adjusted that this predetermined exhaustion may be complete exhaustion), comprises a fork actuating member or cam 20 which is provided with. an upwardly projecting finger 21. The tinge 21 is adapted, when the Weft replenishing operation is initiated, to lift the fork tail 15 above the path of motion of the Weft hammer hook 'idanditor' this purpose the linger 21 is positioned under the side 22 of the fork tail lli and the cam member 20 is connected with the hopper arm 9 so as to be actuated thereby when the latter is oscillated on an indication of predetermined exhaus tion of the filling by the filling feeler mechanism. The connections between the cam member 20 and hopper 9 consist of a link 23 which is loosely connected at its rear end with an arm 24 extendin downwardly from the cam member 20 an which isloosely connected at its forward end with anerng extending downwardly and laterally from the hopper arm 9, The construction and arrangement of the connection between the fork actuating cam member 20 and the hopper arm 9 are such that during the regular weaving operation of the loom Usually the linger 21 is normally held in the position shown in 2 with its upper end li 'htlv engaging the under surface of the side 212 of the fork tail 15 ,Ihe cam member 20, therefore, does not during the regular weav ing operation of the loom interfere with the proper functioning of the filling fork.

The operation of the fecler loom illustrated in the drawings embodying the device of the nresent invention is described as n i lo lovvs. 'lhe filling Eeeler mechanism indicates predetermined exhaustion of the filling in .the active shuttle, and thereupon the hopper arm 9 oscillates or swings to the right, viewing 2, to initiate the weft replenishing operation. llihe oscillation of the hopper arm 9 pulls the link 23 forward and thereby oscillates the cam member 20 to raise the finger 21 and lift the fork tail 15 above the path of movement of the weft hammer book 16.- These movements all l'lll take place on the same beat-up of the lay on which the filling feeler mechanism indicates the predetermined exhaustion of filling; consequently, on the succeeding heat-up of the lay, which is the filling detecting beatup, and also the Weft replenishingbeat-up, the Weft hammer hook on its corresponding forward movement will not cooperate with the fork tall 15 and the detector slide 13 will remain quiescent, and therefore the loom Will not be stop ed although the filling may be absent an the completion of the Weft replenishing operation, the lay beats backivardly, and coincident therewith the hopper arm 9 returns to its normal position, thereby returning the cam member 20 and the finger 21 to their normal position to permit the filling fork to resume its normal function of detecting the absence or presence of filling, and controlling the loom stopping devices accordingly.

The applicability of the device of the present invention to various types of feeler looms having been indicated and its mode of operation with respect to a particular type'of feeler loom having been described, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement shown in the drawings and described above but may be employed in other forms Within the scope of the followingclaims.

What I. claim as new is 2- 1. A loom having, in combination, a filling detector mechanism including a filling fork for causing loom stoppage on the detection of filling absence, a \veftreplenish ing mechanism, means for initiating the weft replenishing operation, and means for tilting the filling fork to render inoperative the filling detector mechanism on the initiation of the Weft replenishing operation.

2-. A loom having, in combination, loom controlling devices including a hopper arm, a stop shaft, a filling detector mechanism connected with the stop shaft adapted to actuate the latter on detection of filling absence, and connections between the hopper arm and the fork tail of the filling detector mechanism constructed and arranged to lift the fork tail on an actuation of the loom controlling devices. a

A loom having, in combination, loom controlling devices including a hopper arm, a filling detector mechanism connected With the stop shaft and adapted to actuate the latter on filling absence, and connections between the hopper arm and the fork tail of the filling detector mechanism whereby the latter is rendered inoperative on an actu-' ation of the former. v

i. A loom having, in combination, a Weft replenishing mechanism, a lay, a filling detector mechanlsmincluding a filling fork for causing loom stoppage on the detection of filling absence, and means for tilting the filling fork to render the filling detector mechanism inoperative on the beat-up of the lay on 'Which the weft replenishing operation occurs,

5. A loom having, in combination, filling detector mechanism including a filling fork for causing loom stoppage on the detection of filling absence, and means for tilting the filling fork to render the filling detector mechanism inoperative to perform its loom stopping function at predetermined times.

EARLE J. WENTZ. 

